Finding a cure for cancer. Seeking solutions from the tiniest
of particles for the world's big problems through nanotechnology. Discovering an
economical and environmentally cleaner alternative to fossil fuel. Reinventing a
health-care system that is more affordable, efficient and effective. Developing
advanced technology to make manufacturers more competitive globally.
Seven years ago, Discovery Park was just an idea, launched with a $5 million commitment from the state of Indiana for a nanotechnology center. Today, it's a $375 million research and learning complex of 11 dynamic centers, where more than 1,500 faculty members and 3,000 students are using an interdisciplinary approach to tackle the grand challenges of today.
"Purdue had its most successful year ever in sponsored programs awards in 2006-07, and we are now building on all that we have accomplished as we advance on interdisciplinary discovery," said Purdue President France A. Cordova. "For the past seven years we have built the infrastructure for this work with new research facilities campus-wide, including a major new complex named Discovery Park with world-class centers for nanotechnology biosciences, e-enterprises, entrepreneurship, learning and more."
Discovery Park has created an innovative environment where our major challenges are examined objectively, generating new ideas and direction for future generations. Already, seven centers are housed in four new buildings in Discovery Park, offering some the most advanced research facilities on any university campus:
- $58 million Birck Nanotechnology Center.
- $12 million Bindley Bioscience Center.
- $7 million Burton D. Morgan Center for Entrepreneurship.
- $12.5 million Mann Hall — includes office space for the Center for Advanced Manufacturing, Regenstrief Center for Healthcare Engineering, Oncological Sciences Center and the e-Enterprise Center, which includes the Purdue Homeland Security Institute.
And plans are underway for a $25 million building in Discovery Park that will house the Discovery Learning Center.
Thanks to the park's two primary facilities in nanotechnology and life sciences, which went online in 2005, funding from interdisciplinary research projects has risen significantly. The result: Purdue's sponsored research reached a record $300 million in 2006-07 ö at a time when federal funding was flat or decreasing. Of that total, more than $44 million worth of sponsored research was generated by Discovery Park centers.
Purdue has recruited 300 faculty members, who point to the park's new research facilities and new equipment. Discovery Park was credited for boosting Purdue's reputation as nation's fourth-best place to work in academia, according to rankings released in November 2007 by The Scientist magazine. Purdue finished 25th in the same rankings in 2006.
Discovery Park researchers from disciplines as disparate as mathematics, engineering, chemistry, pharmacy, agriculture and the liberal arts are coming together. This is a necessity, said Alan Rebar, Discovery Park's executive director, because research is far more complex, and the challenges are much greater.
"We are generating more sponsored research that tackles critical topics such as energy, health care, nanoscale research and information technology," Rebar said. "Discovery Park's growing corps of leading researchers and its state-of-the-art facilities are expanding Purdue's global leadership for innovative learning and imaginative research.
Through the park, Purdue has bolstered its research links with other U.S. and international universities. Several Discovery Park centers also are working closely with the Indiana University School of Medicine on health-care engineering, cancer and information technology research. And many of the 10 centers also are teaming together on a number of other projects.
The Regenstrief Center for Healthcare Engineering, for example, has leveraged an initial $3 million grant from Regenstrief Foundation in 2005 into $50 million in funding for researching how systems-engineering principles can be applied to make the fragmented $2 trillion U.S. health-care system safer and more efficient and affordable.
"This is results-oriented research. And we're delivering practical, oftentimes cost-saving solutions to complex problems," said Steve Witz, director of the Regenstrief Center.
"We know there are opportunities to increase efficiency, thereby reducing costs. We also know that improving quality and safety have a dramatic impact on reducing costs. These strategies allow us to use Purdue's expertise in engineering principles and the quality of the faculty and researchers across this university's campus to offer real solutions to real problems."
As one of the largest employers in Indiana, Purdue is an engine for economic development, contributing $2.2 billion to the state's economy every year. Through Discovery Park and its link to industry partnerships and the Purdue Research Park, Purdue is changing how a 21st century university translates research into viable commercial products ÷ and how that same research can create jobs and spark the economy.
These efforts are helping address the challenges for affordable health care, alternative energy, nanoscale devices, biomarkers, the life sciences and innovative learning for grades K-12.
"We are a university-administered program that is aggressively working with companies and attracting research with real commercial applications," said Charles Buck, director of operations at the Bindley Bioscience Center. "It's not that we will be doing it. We are doing it. And now the infrastructure is in place for Purdue to be the frontrunner in competing not only with university researchers but also with private industry in the biotech and engineering arena."
Discovery Park has helped Purdue generate more than 40 patents and facilitate the launch of 24 startup companies, many located in the nearby Purdue Research Park. Because of the park's modern equipment and facilities, 20 private companies and organizations are formally collaborating with centers in the park, and more companies are calling to inquire how they can partner with Purdue to can gain an edge in a competitive global marketplace.
Because of Discovery Park, Purdue now has strong ties with universities and institutions nationally and globally ÷ specifically India, South Korea, Australia, China, Japan and Singapore.
"In the corporate world, companies must adapt and evolve or die," said Joe Pekny, director of the e-Enterprise Center and a Purdue professor of chemical engineering. "Just as in those corporations, we must change, too. We're reshaping the future of Purdue, of Indiana and our nation to be competitive globally."
Here's a look at the mission of the 10 Discovery Park centers at Purdue:
Bioscience Center — Life sciences and engineering researchers in this center collaborate to explore new technologies and science that have broad implications in plant, animal and human diseases. Researchers also examine technology development and basic research for large-scale analyses of proteins, metabolites and cellular structure to foster a better understanding of biological systems.
Birck Nanotechnology Center — This center focuses on researching, designing and creating improved nanoscale materials, structures, devices and systems that have nanoscale properties. Scientists at the center also study how to manufacture nanoscale devices for the next generation of electronic devices similar to the transistors and circuits in computer chips.
Burton D. Morgan Center for Entrepreneurship — This center is a platform to launch technology-based enterprises based on Purdue research. It also helps faculty, students and Indiana entrepreneurs better understand how to bring research and technology to market.
Center for Advanced Manufacturing — This center, in conjunction with Indiana and Midwest manufacturers, focuses on research to develop and improve manufacturing processes, productivity and materials. It also sponsors regional summits to address local challenges and explore research opportunities for collaboration.
Center for the Environment — At a time when the world's resources are being consumed at unprecedented rates, this center examines how to protect the environment while sustaining a global economy. Center researchers study ways to model and predict the impact of activity on ecosystems, monitor environmental quality, manage natural resources, and develop technologies that will help create a cleaner environment.
Cyber Center — This center focuses on creating systems and tools to disseminate and preserve scientific and engineering knowledge. Its infrastructure is based on distributed computer, information and communication technologies.
Discovery Learning Center — Projects in this center focus on the design and assessment of educational initiatives, innovative learning spaces and advanced technologies to enhance the learning process and improve educational practices. This center also organizes undergraduate student internship programs for all the centers in the park.
e-Enterprise Center — This center's mission is to seed, nurture and execute large-scale research projects that involve applying computing, project management and information technology principles to address real-world challenges.
Energy Center — This center researches energy alternatives, such as hydrogen, biofuels and solar and wind power, and how they can help reduce the nation's reliance on traditional fossil fuels as the primary energy source. Center researchers also are developing clean-coal technologies and studying how to use petroleum and natural gas resources more effectively and efficiently.
Oncological Sciences Center — This center is focused on the national challenge to eliminate cancer as a cause of suffering and death by 2015 by drawing on research strengths in biological, chemical, engineering, life sciences and liberal arts, engineering and chemical sciences. This center also applies complex modeling systems to study cancer patients and their response to a treatment or series of treatments.
Regenstrief Center for Healthcare Engineering — In this center, researchers apply principles of engineering, management and science to advance a healthcare delivery system that provides quality, cost-effective and accessible services for all persons. A prestigious group of healthcare partners actively participate in research and serve as living laboratories to ensure comprehensive and sustainable healthcare engineering solutions. This center also includes the Center for Health Outcomes Research and Policy and is affiliated with the Healthcare Technical Assistance Program and PharmaTAP.
Click here for more information on Purdue University's Discovery Park.